|
|
|
Archives |
Bill Evans: A Lifelong Commitment to Helping Children LearnBill Evans has made a habit of success. One need look no further than the growth and incredible staying power of Evan-Moor, the publishing company he helped found 25 years ago, to see that. Under Bill's leadership, what started as a three-person operation with six books in its catalog has blossomed into a 65-employee publishing house with over 450 titles available in 1,500 retail stores nationwide. Yet when asked how he does it, Bill is quick to credit everyone but himself. "My success and the success of Evan-Moor has been made possible by the people that surround me," says Bill, who has acted as CEO of Evan-Moor Educational Publishers since its inception in 1979. "Of course, there would be no Evan-Moor if not for [co-founders] Joy [Evans] and Jo Ellen Moore. My wife Marilyn has played a huge role in shaping my life and the company. And if not for my parents who housed the company in their garage, the employees over the years who've done their work with pride, or the belief and loyalty of our customers, none of this would have been possible." This modesty is true to form for Bill, who is known throughout the industry as the quintessential "good guy." Indeed, it is difficult to recount his professional achievements without mentioning his personality, for the passion with which he lives his life is the same passion he brings to his business. As Encyclopædia Britannica's Michael Ross puts it, "For Bill, running Evan-Moor is not just a job; it's his life's work." Bill's honesty and integrity have translated into a loyal employee base with one of the lowest turnover rates in the industry and have won Evan-Moor various partnerships and acquisitions that have kept the company ahead of the crowd. For example, his close relationship with Elizabeth Cater from Macmillan Teacher Book Club in the 1980s was an essential part of Evan-Moor's prosperity in the early years. In 1994, a contract with American Greetings helped Evan-Moor through a period of slow growth. The relationships that Bill has established throughout the years have also helped to change the face of the industry. "Supplemental publishers used to be very proprietary when it came to information about growing their business," said Marilyn Evans, Bill's wife and senior editor at Evan-Moor. "Bill's positive connections with various competitors really helped to bridge those gaps and get companies to open up and share their stories." This push toward a united front of educational publishers led Bill to his involvement in the early development of AEP. Bill sat on the advisory board that made the decision to expand aepweb, the organization that had been established mainly for editors of print periodicals, into the larger entity of AEP, which now includes publishers of supplemental educational materials of any type. "Bill knew what the industry wanted and what our organization could offer, and was able to sell that vision of AEP just by being himself - generous, humorous, and charming," says AEP executive director Charlene Gaynor. "He is one of the main reasons the organization is what it is today." Bill's optimism and forward thinking have also helped him position Evan-Moor as an industry leader in technology and a model for international trade. Bill recognized the potential of the Internet as early as ten years ago and has continually pushed for online catalogs, e-newsletters, and the sale of individual electronic files. Evan-Moor has consistently added substantial percentages to its bottom line each year with international sales. In most cases, Bill himself acts as liaison in these deals, meeting with clients and business partners face-to-face at the Frankfurt Book Fair and the GLI at the Bologna Children's Book Fair. But perhaps most important to Evan-Moor's success has been Bill's humility. As Evan-Moor president Linda Hangar points out, despite Bill's entrepreneurial nature, he has always been more than willing to hear others' advice and opinions. "Bill was a lawyer, not a publisher. He wasn't an expert, so he knew he had to surround himself with people who knew the industry." While the company was still in its infancy, Bill established a board of directors comprised of an impressive list of educational publishing veterans. Hangar, who served on the board for eight years, saw this as crucial to the success of the company. "Bill is a visionary and an optimist. When he gets a new idea, he tends to focus on all the things that can go right," says Hangar. "The board is there to remind him of the things that can go wrong." So while it may be easy to honor Bill just for being one of the most loved, well-known people in the industry, his induction into the Educational Publishing Hall of Fame comes in recognition of his ability to channel all of these passions into a successful business and the career-long goal of "helping children learn."
Questions, ideas, or in need of more information? Please contact Stacey Pusey at 302-295-8349.
|
|
© 2011 The Association of Educational
Publishers |
|
